


But Not So Deep as the Love I'm In

by magelbar



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pirate, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24986233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magelbar/pseuds/magelbar
Summary: Daichi woke up drowning, which was strange because for the past 24 years of his life, he had had gills. He clawed his way up to the water’s surface and grabbed hold of a floating piece of driftwood, breaking the surface and gasping for air. As he coughed up saltwater, his mind only had one clear thought.What the hell happened?__________A daisuga merpeople/pirate AU | tags will be updated as the story progresses!
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	1. Daichi

Daichi woke up drowning, which was strange because for the past 24 years of his life, he had had gills. He clawed his way up to the water’s surface and grabbed hold of a floating piece of driftwood, breaking the surface and gasping for air. As he coughed up saltwater, his mind only had one clear thought. 

_ What the hell happened? _

  
-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  


“Daichi-san!” Yamaguchi burst into Daichi’s office, visibly flustered. “You’ve been summoned for an audience in the throne room!”

Daichi started at his words, dropping the ledger he was reading and letting it sink back down to his desk. It was rare to be summoned before the king, even the day before an important council meeting. He quickly set to work to make himself presentable, pulling on his most formal coat and bemoaning the fact that his best shirt was being mended and would be unavailable for his last-minute audience before the king. Swimming in a circle in front of his mirror, he was relieved to see he looked at least a little bit put together.

Yamaguchi was bent double, heaving water in through his gills in an effort to get a bit of oxygen back after his mad dash to Daichi’s office. 

“You can rest here Yamaguchi. I’d appreciate it if you could finish sorting through the ledger on my desk once you feel up to the task.” For good measure, he clapped Yamaguchi on his shoulder on his way out the door.

Once he crossed the threshold of his office, though, he was swimming full speed, as his secretary likely had been. It was just  _ so rare _ to be called to the throne room. 

He was greeted outside the colossal iridescent doors by Ukai, the king’s head advisor. Ukai sent him an exasperated look before swimming over and grabbing him by the shoulders. “Slow down, Sawamura. We weren’t expecting you for another ten minutes. Take a second to catch your breath.” Ukai drifted away, back towards the door, muttering about  _ hot blooded kids _ and  _ diplomacy _ and  _ nervous wrecks _ . Daichi regained his composure quickly and sent Ukai a grateful smile anyways, even though he had been a bit rude.

Daichi squared his shoulders. 

“I’m ready,” he said, feeling like something big was about to happen.

“About time,” said Ukai, shattering Daichi’s special squared-shoulder feeling.

Every time Daichi was summoned to the throne room, he felt like an idiot for being nervous. This time was no exception.

“Ah! Sawamura-kun! You’re here early! I’m impressed!” King Ittetsu pushed himself out of his throne and excitedly swam toward Daichi. He clasped both his hands around Daichi’s and shook them vigorously.

“I haven’t spoken to you in weeks. How’s your family doing?”

Daichi felt the last remnants of  _ throne room _ nerves leave his body. 

“It has been a while, Your Highness. My family is doing well, thank you.”

The king smiled warmly and continued.

“I heard your brother passed his examinations! Of course your family would be doing well, having such excellent sons. I hope I’ll be seeing your brother around the palace soon!”

Daichi laughed. “I’m sure he’s hoping to be in the palace soon himself.”

Takeda put his hand on Daichi’s back and began swimming back towards his throne, pushing Daichi along. “Well then, come, come! Ukai and I have a few things to discuss with you regarding the council meeting tomorrow.”

Daichi  _ hated  _ council meetings, but he had attended enough to know how they played out. He felt his nerves resurfacing as he considered  _ why  _ exactly they needed to have a meeting before the meeting; this had never happened before. 

As the king settled back into his throne, his friendly expression shifted to one more serious.

“Well, Daichi, there was another attack yesterday; this time it was on the island of Kivara, not too far from here.”

“And the ones behind the attack?”

Ukai cut in. “The same as before—those ‘Eels’ bastards.”

The king continued speaking: “As you can imagine, there is some uproar amongst the other nations in the council as to how we should handle this. Aoba Johsai’s prince has proposed that we collaborate with some of the Crimson Eels’ rivals to bring them down. It is, however, my belief that partnering with humans in a large-scale, official capacity would only cause more trouble at this stage. I am open to suggestions as to ways in which we can quietly bring an end to their terror, but forming an alliance is out of the question.”

Daichi nodded mutely.

“Fukorodani’s queen has expressed similar sentiments to me in writing, and I am certain that the head of the council has similar intentions. I have, for good measure, written down my official position on this matter. Ukai, could you grab that for me? Thank you.” Ukai swam out of the room towards the king’s study. “We will need to determine some alternatives to helping the humans explicitly, but I’ll leave that to Tobio’s discretion. Aoba Johsai’s prince should be outnumbered, so there shouldn’t be too much to worry about with regards to alliances.”

Daichi nodded again, overwhelmed at how much more serious this council meeting was already shaping up to be when compared to the previous meetings he had attended. Gone, apparently, were the days of bickering over tariffs and the like. 

“To reiterate,” Takeda continued, “I don’t believe we need to take the unprecedented step of allying with humans. My son will certainly agree, but he may feel… particularly opposed to an alliance. I called you in today to prepare you not just for the meeting, but for Tobio’s emotional state. I apologize, Sawamura-kun, in advance, but I need your clear-mindedness to counteract Tobio’s quick temper.” 

“Of course, Your Highness.” Daichi shuddered a bit. “Quick temper” was a mild way of expressing Prince Tobio’s emotional tendencies, especially where humans were involved.

“I’ve already spoken with him multiple times about the issue at hand, so he knows my position well and he agrees with it. I just need you to be prepared to smooth things over if he says anything... _ unsavory _ . I also trust that you’ll be able to think of some alternative ways of neutralizing the pirate threat.”

Ukai returned to the throne room, holding a scroll wrapped tightly with the official orange cord of the kingdom of Karasuno. He handed the scroll off to the king, who accepted it with a warm smile. 

“Well, Sawamura-kun, I apologize: my concern is mainly about my adorable son and keeping him out of trouble tomorrow. But I trust you. And he trusts you. And I trust him. And so, here you go.” He passed the scroll to Daichi in a rare moment of appropriate throne room solemnity.

“Sawamura Daichi, at tomorrow’s Miyagi High Council Meeting I ask that you represent the kingdom of Karasuno with all due dignity, and that you kindly bestow your wise counsel on my son so as to improve the bonds of friendship between the four kingdoms.”

Daichi spoke thickly: “I will, Your Highness.”

For a brief moment, the king’s eyes flashed with something like trepidation, a moment of nervousness for the important meeting the next day. Then, his face broke out into its usual smile.

“Thank you, Sawamura-kun. Please thank your secretary for me, as well. I believe I startled him when I bumped into him in the east garden earlier and asked him to fetch you. I’m impressed with how fast you got here! He must have informed you quite quickly.”

Daichi laughed, thankful for the resumption of King Ittetsu’s normal demeanor and at the recollection of Yamaguchi’s panicked face. “That explains why he seemed so scared. I’ll let him know that you appreciate his efforts.”

The king smiled, then rose from the throne and clapped his hands together. “Well! You have an early morning tomorrow so you should return to your quarters so you can rest up.” As before, he pressed his hand between Daichi’s shoulder blades, pushing him forward. “Your carriage leaves just before dawn, so I hope you’ve packed everything already. As for the Eels issue, I am fully open to any ideas determined by the council, outside of outright alliance, of course. I trust my son’s judgment on this issue. All of the council members have really grown into wise young men!”

At the throne room door, Ittetsu grabbed Daichi’s shoulder fully, spinning him around so they could face each other fully. Face-to-face with the king, Daichi could see that glimmer of worry resurface in the king’s eyes. He spoke once more in a low voice.

“Sawamura-kun. Please,  _ please _ watch over Tobio tomorrow. He’s all I have left.” 

Daichi wondered how badly the prince had reacted to the subject of alliance to warrant such concern on his father’s part. He was used to Tobio, though, and he knew that Tobio was capable of keeping a cool head in front of the High Council. Daichi straightened up his spine and squared his shoulders.

“I promise, Your Highness. My life is dedicated to the service of the Crown Prince. I’ll do anything in my power to protect him.”

The king gave Daichi his best fatherly smile. “Thank you, Sawamura-kun. It’s a relief to know Tobio has an ally like you. Go, and make our kingdom proud.”

When Daichi returned to his rooms, he cleaned up and went to bed immediately, trying his best to ignore the feeling of foreboding which was crawling its way up his chest.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-  
  


“My father gave you the official sealed statement, correct?”

“Yup.”

“I’ve got an unsealed copy of it here. Do you wanna read it?” Tobio handed the document over without waiting for Daichi’s response.  _ Of course _ Daichi wanted to read it; diplomacy was part of his job. 

Daichi scanned the document, seeing the exact sentiments King Ittetsu had expressed the day before written out in many more words. This copy had been hurriedly scrawled by the king himself; no doubt the official copy had been carefully penned by one of the court scribes under the watchful eyes of Ukai.

Daichi turned a critical eye toward Tobio.

“Have you read it yet?”

“Of course I have. I’ve practically got it memorized. All I know is that we are  _ not _ forming an alliance with any of those lying, cheating, murdering humans. That’s all I care about.” 

Daichi had figured as much.

“Just… remember to smile and be considerate of the other council members. Most of them will probably agree with your father’s position anyway, so don’t pick any fights.”

Tobio glowered, just a bit. “I won’t pick any fights. But if that bastard from Aoba Johsai picks a fight with me, I can’t promise I won’t retaliate.” 

Daichi wanted to laugh, but the meeting was too serious to allow him to acknowledge Tobio’s petty hatred of Aoba Johsai’s crown prince. 

“I’m being serious, Tobio. You’re the crown prince of Karasuno. You can’t lose your temper at this meeting, no matter how much you hate humans, okay?” Daichi felt a bit bad nagging him, even if that was 90% of his job requirement as the head advisor to the crown prince. He decided to take a more personal route. “Listen, I know you have an… emotional investment in this topic. I get it, and everyone in the council gets it too. Aside from Karasuno’s reputation, I just really don’t want to see  _ you _ get punished. I believe in your abilities, as does your father the king. We all just want to see you succeed because we care about you.”

Tobio was quiet for a while. After some time, he spoke again. “I just wish they would stop looking down on me.” He stared intently at his hands. “I’m so tired of being compared to  _ him. _ I can’t access the power which was  _ his _ birthright. I just need to keep my seat at that table.”

It was a rare moment of honesty from Tobio, even if slightly disjointed. Daichi felt fortunate that he was likely the only person to witness the hot-blooded prince acting like this. It was comforting to know that Tobio did find him to be loyal and trustworthy, an absolute essential in the prince-advisor relationship. Daichi would say they were more like brothers after years of working together, but he knew better than to say that aloud.

Finally, after a few hours traveling the currents, the sharks pulling their carriage stilled outside of the designated meeting place for the council. Tobio’s bodyguard, Nishinoya, poked his head inside the carriage.

“We’re here! Let’s get going.” 

A few servants led them to their respective rooms to acquaint them with their location, then guided them towards the small chamber where all Miyagi High Council meetings were traditionally held. These meetings were held quarterly, and this was Daichi and Tobio’s seventh time attending. Despite having been in the chamber several times before, Daichi was still awed by the intricate glowing patterns embedded in the crisp white marble walls and the masterful shell work on the floors. At the center of the round chamber was a massive round table, glowing in that iridescent way which never failed to mesmerize Daichi.

Tobio took his seat at the table, and Daichi floated behind him along the outer wall. Each council member was allowed only one advisor in the room; bodyguards and other entourage members were to wait outside. 

The council members from Fukurodani and Shiratorizawa were already in their places before Daichi and Tobio arrived. Crown Prince Koutarou of Fukurodani glowered in his seat while his advisor, Konoha Akinori, frantically read through a stack of documents and tried to get the prince to pay attention. Daichi smiled wryly to himself.  _ He’s still upset about the last council meeting, huh? _ Daichi was used to Bokuto being the moodmaker for the meetings, so he was both concerned and relieved that his extreme energy levels would be absent for such a high stakes meeting. 

King Wakatoshi of Shiratorizawa sat in his usual place under the Miyagi High Council Crest. The council rotated between leaders every five years, and this was Wakatoshi’s third year as the chairman of the council. Daichi respected Wakatoshi immensely. He was the same age as Daichi, unmarried, and had no heir to represent him at the council. What with running a country on his own, acting in the head diplomat role typically reserved for a crown prince, and being chairman of the Miyagi High Council, Daichi had to wonder how he always seemed so calm. His head advisor, Semi Eita, was showing him a few documents as well, and the King did a much better job of paying attention than did Prince Koutarou.

Daichi felt a bit left out. Tobio didn’t like to review official proclamations and other documents right before the meetings, so Daichi didn’t have much to do. While Daichi was contemplating suggesting/forcing Tobio to reread King Ittetsu’s statement one final time, the door to the chamber suddenly burst open.

Prince Tooru of Aoba Johsai swam into the room in a way which suggested he was swimming into his own fan club, all relaxed posture and winning smile. His bone-tired advisor, Kunimi, trailed in behind him, subtly bowing his head as if to say “sorry, we’re late.”

“Well, well, you boring fish people. Let’s get started, shall we?”

Daichi already felt like he needed to lay a comforting hand on Tobio’s shoulder. Prince Tooru was evidently at the full extent of his energy today, a fact which was bound to make Tobio irritated.

King Wakatoshi began the meeting with the formal script for all High Council meetings: introducing each member by their official title, introducing the advisors who were to serve as witnesses and alternative voices in the chamber, explaining the basic expectations of manners and decorum to be adhered to for the duration of the meeting, and expressing the heartfelt desire that the four kingdoms would continue to work together for mutual benefit. 

He then directly addressed the most pressing issue. 

“Today’s Miyagi High Council Meeting will focus on the issue of the Crimson Eels, the pirate group which has been attacking human settlements, indiscriminately hunting our native fish species at alarming rates for the black market trade, and which is suspected to have captured at least five merfolk to date. At this time, we will go around the table and express the position of the sovereign of each kingdom with regards to the menace. I shall begin, as I am representing myself. It is my belief that at this time, no official alliance with human rivals of the Crimson Eels should be formed. It is in the best interest of the four kingdoms to educate our people to stay away from the surface at this time, and to form a taskforce to address the appropriate levels of human-merfolk collaboration.”

Prince Koutarou of Fukorodani spoke next, reading out similar expressions which had been penned by his mother, though they were presented with less gravitas than those of Shiratorizawa.

Daichi held his breath as Tobio broke the seal on King Takeda’s scroll and began to read it out to the council. The sentiments were, once again, largely the same as those of Shiratorizawa and Fukurodani. This all, of course, was expected. When Tobio had finished, seven heads turned to the final councilmember, and the one who had suggested full alliance in the first place. 

Prince Tooru began to break the turquoise seal on his own scroll, then he smiled up at the other three mermen at the table. “Do you all  _ really _ think my father would actually agree with me?” He undid the scroll with a flourish and began to read. 

The King of Aoba Johsai, evidently, disagreed with his son. The same sentiments as before were expressed, and it was clear that a unanimous vote of “no” had been reached with regards to the question of a formal alliance.

King Wakatoshi called the room back to order. “Now that we have determined that we will not be allying ourselves with any human groups, thereby risking our own exposure, we must determine how we will handle this situation. First, as I mentioned in my statement, I believe we should educate our people about staying safe and staying away from the surface. All transfiguration spells, whether for research, diplomacy, or otherwise, with the noted exception of emergency situations, should be suspended until further notice. All in favor?”

Everyone at the table agreed.

Daichi was shocked with how easy this meeting had turned out. Tobio had stayed completely calm, even in the presence of Prince Tooru and while discussing a personally difficult topic. Daichi resisted the urge to pat Tobio’s head.

“If I may,” Tooru began.  _ Ah, there goes the calm, and here is the storm,  _ Daichi thought to himself. “A formal alliance with humans is off the table. But we can still help them! At this point, rival pirate groups probably have the best chances of ending the Crimson Eels. We should help them!”

“Absolutely not!” Tobio snapped, before he caught himself and folded his hands in front of himself on the table.

King Wakatoshi spared Tobio a quick disdainful glance before he turned to Prince Tooru. “How do you suggest we help them? And who among us do you suggest help the humans directly?”

Prince Tooru smiled. “There are so many things we can do! First, we choose a few pirate groups to work with. If they engage in a naval battle with the Eels, we’ll be there to help any of their shipwrecked or castaway men. We can heal them or at least get them back to their ships. We can track the Crimson Eels’ ship and give their coordinates to the information brokers in the pirate towns. We could even just help them with things like getting food and resources. We don’t need a formal alliance just to be helpful, at least.”

Daichi was a bit shocked. He had never seen Prince Tooru speaking so formally or earnestly. His suggestions were also fairly doable. Around the table and around the circumference of the room, heads nodded with one notable exception.

“That’s ridiculous!” Tobio was absolutely incensed. “We shouldn’t waste our time and resources on  _ helping _ humans. Our enemy  _ is  _ the humans! Even if we neutralize the Crimson Eels, one of the pirate groups we help will probably turn against us. No humans should know we exist. It’s too dangerous.”

King Wakatoshi shot Tobio a warning look. “Prince Tobio, I would ask that you adhere to the stated rules of decorum for this hall. Prince Tooru, per Prince Tobio’s question, do you have any recommendation as to how we can protect our people as we subtly aid the humans?”

Aoba Johsai’s prince looked irritated, but he slapped on a fake smile and took a deep breath before speaking.

“Are we not magical? We have transfiguration spells for those times when we would pass information on to the brokers. We can use this to pose as fishermen, doctors, et cetera. They don’t need to  _ know _ they’re being helped by merfolk. If all else fails, we can just wipe their memories, as we always have in cases like this. We would choose only those who have superior judgment skills to converse with the humans. Perhaps our own royal advisors would be suited to such tasks? Surely there are no merfolk who practice careful deliberation and discretion at equal levels as our own advisors.”

Prince Tooru, here, addressed the four men standing along the chamber’s walls. Kunimi merely shrugged at his Prince. Semi had a furrowed brow. Konoha was nodding slightly (as was Prince Koutarou). Tobio shot Daichi a  _ look _ over his shoulder. Daichi met Prince Tooru’s gaze directly and kept his face completely neutral.

Silence stretched on for a minute or so as Prince Tooru waited for agreement from Semi and Daichi. Daichi watched as Tobio’s shoulders became increasingly tense as he waited for someone to just  _ say something. _

Ultimately, he elected to break the silence himself.

“Losing our primary counsellors in a time of emergency seems to be an unwise decision.”

Daichi heaved a sigh of relief. He had half expected Tobio to completely blow up. A quick glance at King Wakatoshi increased Daichi’s relief: the king was nodding.

“I may have to agree with Karasuno’s Prince. Our advisors are needed at home. Perhaps, though, we could create a team of diplomats? Each kingdom could provide a number of delegates—perhaps three or four—to be part of a task force. These should all be educated individuals determined by us, the council members, and our respective monarchs. All in favor?”

Prince Koutarou shrugged and raised his hand, as did Prince Tooru. Tobio ( _ of course, _ thought Daichi) straightened up. 

“No! No task force, no diplomats, no transfiguration. This is all so stupid! We shouldn’t consort with humans!”

Prince Tooru straightened up as well. “Tobio-chan, we understand that you hate humans. But this really is for the mutual benefit of the four kingd—”

“I’m the only person with any sense at this table! This is a problem caused by humans. The only way to keep our people safe is to stay away from humans altogether!” 

Daichi stepped forward to put a hand on Tobio’s shoulder. “Please, calm down. Your father—” 

“I don’t care what my father thinks! I’m right!” He shook Daichi’s hand off of his shoulder. 

“Prince Tobio. I would request that you calm down considerably before I am forced to enact disciplinary measures. Are you satisfied if we do not require Karasuno to send any diplomats?”

Daichi heaved a sigh of relief.  _ Surely _ that would be fine—

“No! If you all are consorting about with humans, you put my kingdom at risk as well. Karasuno is the closest kingdom to Kivara; _we’ll_ probably be the first to get hurt. You all love humans so much that you’re willing to risk the lives of my people!”

Prince Tooru slammed his palms on the table.

“Tobio-chan, stop making this personal. We all want what’s best for our kingdoms.”

“Shut up! You don’t know anything!”

“Stop acting like  _ we’re _ the enemy! Our enemy is the Crimson Eels!”

“Humans are the enemy!”

“Not all humans are bad!”

“You’re wrong!”

Prince Tooru’s gaze became icy. “You aren’t thinking clearly, Tobio. Hating all humans won’t bring your mother or brother back. Admit it: you’re prioritizing your personal grudge over your own people.”

The tension in the room snapped. King Wakatoshi and Prince Koutarou pushed themselves away from the table as Tobio let out an anguished cry. At the same time, Daichi rushed forward and tried to grab Tobio, but a crackling sound stopped him.

Destruction magic began to swirl around the tips of Tobio’s fingers, which had grown long, pointed nails. The water around him began to flow differently, rushing around him in circles and knocking Daichi backwards. 

Tobio launched himself forwards towards Tooru, hand outstretched with intent to maim, dark magic sending off sparks. Prince Tooru held his ground. Just as Tobio’s hand was about to make contact with his chest, a sudden bright light burst forth from Prince Tooru. Tobio, even with the resistance from the water, was thrown backward against the marble walls of the chamber. Semi and Konoha rushed to grab Tobio’s arms to keep him in place. Tobio let out a grunt of pain and rolled his neck a bit to regain feeling, immediately trying to resist the hands holding him in place.

Daichi rushed to stand alongside them, more to comfort Tobio than anything else.

Hearing the commotion, four bodyguards, Nishinoya included, rushed into the room, stilling just inside the door when they comprehended the scene in front of them. Nishinoya, noticing the two advisors which had their hands on his charge, looked livid. Daichi caught his eye and shook his head.  _ There’s not much we can do here. _

Prince Tooru floated inside of a massive glowing bubble. To his credit, he looked ashamed. “I’m sorry, Tobio. I said too much.”

“What has been said has been said.” King Wakatoshi resumed his seat at the table. “And what has been done has been done. Many unwise words have been traded at this table; not only today, but in meetings past and most likely in future meetings. Prince Tooru, I would ask that moving forwards you exercise restraint in how you speak to others.”

Prince Tooru bowed his head and said “I will. I apologize for my comments. They were uncalled for.”

“However, I have never heard of an attempted assault in the High Council’s chamber. Prince Tobio, your outbursts today were inappropriate on their own, but to threaten another member of the Council with physical violence goes far beyond inappropriate. You leave me with no choice but to enact disciplinary measures.”

To his credit, Tobio said nothing. His hands had stopped crackling and his nails had returned to their usual length. His chest heaved, from a combination of shock from being knocked against the marble walls, rage at Tooru’s words, and terror for whatever King Wakatoshi’s next words would be. 

Not knowing what else to do, Daichi laid a hand on Tobio’s right shoulder, floating awkwardly close to Semi, who was still restraining Tobio’s right arm.

Silence reigned in the room until King Wakatoshi’s deep voice rang out again.

“Prince Tobio of Karasuno. Your comments and actions today have shown that you lack the level of maturity expected of High Council members, particularly with regards to the topic of collaboration with humans. For this reason, I sentence you to a seven-day exile among the humans, with the hopes that this will serve as a time for you to contemplate your own inappropriate behavior and for you to educate yourself about the complexity of human society.”

Tobio broke his silence. “No, please—!”

“I read the rules of the High Council at the beginning of this meeting. Regardless of your pleas, you will find that my ruling is well within the bounds of fairness.”

Tobio struggled against Semi and Konoha, wisely choosing not to reactivate his destruction magic.

Daichi whispered furiously, “Calm down! You’ll make it worse!” His heart broke when he saw the genuine terror in Tobio’s eyes. He wasn’t angry; he was scared out of his mind.

“Please, don’t make go there, I’m  _ begging  _ you—”

“Tendou.”

With a glance from Wakatoshi, his bodyguard stepped forward and cast a sleeping spell on Tobio, who immediately pitched forward before he was caught by Semi and Konoha.

Everyone in the chamber stared silently at the young man who had effectively been knocked out. Prince Tooru’s defensive shield had faded away, and Kunimi and Kindaichi, his bodyguard, had stepped protectively in front of him instead, their eyes trained suspiciously on the sleeping prince as if they expected sparks to fly from his fingers in his sleep. 

The terror in Tobio’s eyes flashed through Daichi’s mind once more as he looked at the slumped figure next to him. 

Daichi took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. Diplomacy was his job.

“Your Highness, King Wakatoshi. I humbly request your forgiveness, as a representative from the kingdom of Karasuno.”

King Wakatoshi nodded. “This matter was mostly personal. We, the members of the council, will not be holding Karasuno responsible for the actions of its Crown Prince.”

Daichi heaved a sigh of relief, trying to ignore the guilt piercing his stomach. Once again, Tobio’s terrified face appeared in his mind. He took a deep breath, before he resumed speaking.

“If you will permit me, Your Highness, I have a humble request. As you have stated, the matters of this chamber have become highly personal, so please consider this a personal request.” He bowed at the waist. “Please reconsider your punishment for Karasuno’s prince. He is needed at home, and I fear that spending time with humans will be particularly traumatic for him.”

Daichi did not dare to stand up straight again, keeping his body bowed and his eyes trained on the beautiful shell floor. 

He heard Nishinoya’s awed voice whisper, “Daichi-san…”

“Advisor Sawamura, you must understand that your request is inappropriate, considering that the punishment chosen fully adheres to all stated rules of punishment for this council.”

Daichi gritted his teeth. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“And you also must understand that Prince Tobio’s outburst today represents a failing on your part to serve as his closest advisor.”

Daichi resolutely kept his head down.

“Yes.”

“If you understand that, then I trust that you will forgive me when I say that you, too, will not be exempt from punishment. Your exile will be three days long. However, as you have stated, Prince Tobio’s punishment may be traumatic for him. For this reason, I will permit you, on the fourth day, to join him if you please. And if more than seven days pass of his exile without his return, you may consider this an emergency situation and form a team to search for him on land. This is, of course, an exemption from the newly agreed-upon rules of transfiguration. I trust that  _ both  _ of you will use this opportunity to attempt to understand humanity at a deeper level.”

Daichi had been bowing long enough. He straightened up, meeting the eyes of Semi Eita. Semi looked apologetic. They had always gotten along at previous council meetings. A quick glance around the room showed shocked faces. No one had expected Daichi to be punished along with Tobio. No one had expected Daichi to break from decorum and make a personal appeal for the prince either. 

“I understand, Your Highness. Thank you for the generosity of your exemptions.”

King Wakatoshi nodded. An almost imperceptible look of guilt crossed his face before he turned his attention to Prince Tooru.

“Prince Tooru, your comments were inappropriate today, which I know you understand. An exile would be unfitting for you, as you clearly have no qualms with humans. I will, instead, leave the diplomatic task of informing King Ittetsu of Karasuno of today’s events to you.”

Daichi watched as Prince Tooru shrank in on himself, evidently dreading being the bearer of bad news of which he himself was a cause. He took a deep breath before nodding. “I’ll handle it.”

King Wakatsohi nodded. “As you should. This meeting is adjourned; I ask that you all return to your rooms. Advisor Sawamura, I apologize for the discourtesy, but my guards will be escorting you for the time being until your punishment is carried out.”

Daichi nodded mutely. He didn’t say a word as his hands were magically bound. The others filed out of the room slowly until the only ones left were the entourages from Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. Tobio was still completely limp, suspended between Semi and Tendou. King Wakatoshi silently floated beneath the emblem on the wall. Every movement in the room caused Nishinoya to jump, not sure how to handle a situation in which his charge was being disciplined. He looked positively affronted as Daichi’s hands were bound, but Daichi silenced him with a glance.  _ This is allowed. I made a mistake.  _

As he was guided out of the chamber, he caught one last glimpse of Tobio and emotion bubbled up into his throat. The door slammed shut before he could say anything else.

He was escorted back to his room by one of King Wakatoshi’s bodyguards, a young man named Goshiki whose fingers grew into claws every minute or so, as if he was nervous Daichi would resist. Goshiki pushed Daichi toward the elegant chair by the room’s desk.

“I’ll be guarding the door outside. Please sit here and wait for further instructions.”

Daichi did as he was told. 

An hour passed. All he could think of was Tobio’s panicked face upon receiving his punishment.

Two hours passed. Daichi vaguely wondered if Tobio had already been taken up to the shore.

Forty-five minutes later, the door was thrown open and Daichi saw Tendou and Goshiki outside. 

“Okay~!” Tendou waved his hand and Daichi felt himself being pulled forward by his magically bound wrists. “Let’s get you out to the courtyard! Turning merfolk into humans is tiring work so I’d like to get this over with quickly.”

They swam down the hallway, Tendou leading the way and Goshiki trailing behind Daichi. 

“Advisor Sawamura, Goshiki, did you know that they still haven’t canceled the banquet tonight? I really thought they would but I guess they already made all the food. Ah! I’m jealous of you, Sawamura. You get to miss out on what is bound to be the most awkward banquet of all time.”

Daichi didn’t respond.

“But I must confess, I’m looking forward to seeing some of those sad faces. In fact, I’m not jealous anymore. Let’s get your transfiguration over quickly so that I can be back in time for the banquet, okay?”

They were in the courtyard, and Tendou propelled Daichi toward the center of the coral gardens. 

“Mmmmm okay. The rules are—boring. Goshiki, you tell him the rules.”

“Yessir!” Goshiki barked out, then, to Daichi’s mild surprise, he recited the rules perfectly as if they hadn’t been decided on a few hours previously. “Advisor Sawamura of Karasuno, you are hereby sentenced to a temporary exile for three days among the humans. You will be rendered unconscious before the transfiguration spell is cast. Following your transfiguration, you will be taken to the surface, at which point you will be responsible for your own safety. The only way to undo the spell is to wait three full days, at which point you will automatically return to your natural form. Please take care to be near water at that time, and report any humans who learn your true identity so that their memories can be erased. As stated by Miyagi High Council Chairman King Wakatoshi of Shiratorizawa, and out of his generosity, after four days you will be permitted to join Prince Tobio should you wish. You will be responsible for your own transfiguration at that point. Should you be unable to find Prince Tobio or should he not return after his mandatory seven-day exile, King Ittetsu of Karasuno may declare a state of emergency to assemble a team to join you and find the prince. All standard rules for human coexistence apply for your exile. Do you have any questions before you are rendered unconscious?”

Daichi blinked.  _ How did he memorize all that? _

“May I ask where Tobio was taken?”

“No, you may not. Any other questions?”

“Not at this time.”

Tendou cut in. “This is the only time.”

“Then no, I don’t have any further questions.”

Tendou cracked his knuckles and his hands immediately began to glow with a strange purple light. His fingernails elongated into sharp, dark points and his eyes seemed to glow with the same light as his hands.

He smiled, which made him look all the more menacing.

“Sleep tight, Advisor Sawamura. And don’t stress! Think of this as a vacation.” 

He raised both hands toward Daichi and a ring of purple light appeared on the ground around him. 

“Bring me back a souvenir, okay?”

Everything went dark.

  
  



	2. Sugawara

The weather was perfect. The midday sun was shining down just right and a breeze had rolled in off the ocean. There were a few clouds in the sky, but nothing which so much as hinted as to a storm. It was warm and perfect and it made Sugawara a bit sleepy. 

All of this would have been perfect if he weren’t chasing someone.

“Hinata! Stop! You’ll get lost!” Sugawara pushed through the crowded marketplace, dodging fishmongers showing off their wares and weavers shaking out their intricately patterned fabrics.

A shock of orange hair darted in between the others in the courtyard, then dashed into an alleyway. Sugawara let out apology after apology as he rushed toward the alley, inadvertently shoving many shoppers and salesmen. To his relief, Hinata was sitting on the ground next to a pile of empty crates. His eyes were completely unfocused. Sugawara squatted down next to him and waved a hand in front of his eyes.

“Done running?”

“Sugawara-san...I’ve never seen so many people in my life. Why can’t I breathe?”

“Probably because you’re dehydrated, you have heat exhaustion, and you’re in a situation completely unfamiliar to you. Which is why I  _ told _ you not to run off like that. Seriously, I had to push so many people to catch up with you. I’m so embarrassed right now.” 

Hinata was too exhausted to look ashamed. Sugawara sighed to release the full extent of his embarrassment and weariness. He had been excited to show Hinata the Ganborough marketplace, especially when he remembered his own first experience in the market. He hadn’t expected Hinata to immediately dash off into the crowd, first out of excitement, and then panic.

“Catch your breath. You passed our supplier while you were rushing through, so we’re gonna have to go through the marketplace again to get back to the shop.”

Hinata moaned and buried his head between his arms, curled up over his knees. 

Sugawara felt a bit bad about reprimanding him.

“Hey! At least you didn’t break anything—yourself or any merchandise.”

“I feel broken.”

“Well, you’re fundamentally a dramatic person, so that means nothing.”

“So mean.”

“Then don’t embarrass me in public.”

Hinata had caught his breath enough to argue, so they set off back through the marketplace, moving toward the center where their supplier’s shop was located. As they walked, Sugawara did his best to avoid eye contact with the angry merchants he had pushed.

They stopped in with the supplier (Hinata had returned to his shocked state, so Sugawara handled the transaction on his own) and left with a written receipt for the huge volumes of food and cloth they would be able to pick up in two days. 

Sugawara pulled Hinata by the arm to the next shop, a blacksmith. Here, Hinata perked up a bit, entranced by the swords which decorated the walls. Most of them were rapiers with intricate, interwoven hilts. Sugawara often wondered why a blacksmith who so clearly should be selling to nobility had set up shop on Ganborough Isle. Sugawara sent a sheepish grin to the artist himself, who was watching Hinata with a nervous sort of look, clearly concerned about the clumsy-looking boy.

Their last fight had been bad enough that Sugawara had been forced to use his hidden dagger, the one he usually kept strapped to his shin. It was chipped and stained from the battle and Sugawara couldn’t bear to see such a pretty dagger looking so… used. He set it lightly on the counter and the blacksmith made his way over to inspect it. He let out a long, low whistle.

“Sugawara, I’m hurt.” He spun the knife slowly in his hand, testing its weight. “Where’d you get a knife like this? This isn’t my work, but I sure wish it was.”

Despite the fact that the man was an expert blacksmith, Sugawara eyed him with trepidation. The dagger was his most important item.

“Takinoue-san, you know you’re my favorite smith.” He brought his best smile back onto his face. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest to stop himself from snatching the knife away. “Honestly, I’ve had that knife as long as I can remember. I must have gotten it as a kid.”

Takinoue held the knife up and the pearl hilt glittered as it caught the light from the small forge in the corner. Sugawara winced at the blood stains which marred the elegant silver scrollwork.

They agreed on a price (“sorry, Sugawara, but an intricate knife like this in a short time frame like yours is gonna cost quite a bit”) and Sugawara pulled Hinata out the door by his shoulders, ignoring his cries about a particularly intricate and flashy rapier.

They made their way through the marketplace (Hinata was substantially more subdued this time) and down toward the docks. Sugawara wouldn’t admit it, but he was nearly as overwhelmed by the market as Hinata was. Once they reached the edge of the docks, He stopped to breathe in the air blowing off of the sea. It was still crowded, but the open expanse of ocean past the ships somehow made everything feel less compacted. The sky was cloudless and the air was warm, and Sugawara had half a mind to just lay down right in the middle of the road and bask in the best feeling in the world. A flash of the  _ Corbeau _ ’s sails caught his eye.

_ Laying on deck troubles less people than laying in the road. _

He urged Hinata to move faster towards the ship.

* * *

Sugawara’s afternoon in the sun (merchant-shoving chases aside) was calm, even relaxing—a more relaxing afternoon than he’d had in a long time. So he really should have expected that something bad would happen.

He was awoken from his half-sleep on the wooden deck by Hinata shouting, “Captain’s on the docks!” 

Sugawara stretched his arms up toward the sun then back until he felt his shoulders pop a little bit. A scabbed-over cut on his arm stretched a bit more than was comfortable, so he sat up quickly with a hiss.  _ Actually getting injured sucks.  _

He pushed himself up then strolled to the edge of the deck, face still turned upward toward the late-afternoon sun. Squinting down at the docks, he saw three figures approaching the old sloop. He could make out the figure of the captain, as well as that of Tanaka. The third figure, however, was unfamiliar to Sugawara. He pushed back from his leisurely position and hopped down to the main deck, idly toying with the hilt of one of the numerous knives at his hip.

The stranger’s face was the first to appear over the side of the ship as he climbed aboard. More specifically, the stranger’s  _ hair _ was the first to appear. Sugawara had been sleeping on the ground for two hours but he was certain that his own hair didn’t look half as bad as this man’s; his hair seemed to be at a disagreement with itself as to whether it would defy or obey the laws of gravity. 

Sugawara positioned himself to be leaning against one of the masts in a vague attempt at looking mildly intimidating and very much in control of himself. He considered unsheathing one knife, then figured that that qualified as “trying too hard.”

Around him, his crewmates stared apprehensively at the stranger who had climbed aboard.

The tension broke immediately as the Captain’s head appeared within view. Even though she had only left the ship that same morning, warm greetings of “Welcome back, Captain!” and “Captain’s aboard!” broke out across the deck. Tanaka was last to leap aboard, frantically following the captain as she strode confidently toward Sugawara. The tension slowly returned, as the final greetings were called out and the presence of a stranger became more and more pressing.

“Sugawara. Were you and Hinata able to secure all the necessary resources?” 

“Of course.”

“And your knife?”

“It’s in the shop.”

“Good, good.” She was lost in thought now. “Maybe we should commission the blacksmith for a bulk order of cheap knives, just to keep on hand.”

Sugawara caught the stranger’s eyes. He really looked like bad news. 

“Y’know, Kiyoko, that’s not a bad idea, but now might be a good time to tell us who  _ that _ is.”

She nodded and turned around to face the stranger. “Kuroo-san, this is my first mate, Sugawara. Sugawara, this is Kuroo-san, a researcher who will be accompanying us for the foreseeable future.”

A “bad news” smile broke out over  _ Kuroo _ ’s face. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sugawara.” 

Sugawara really, really did not want this man aboard his ship, with his creepy smile, lack of honorifics, and seeming disregard for the fact that he was on a literal pirate ship surrounded by at least two dozen pirates.

Hinata, in his status as “not the first mate,” was much less bound to politeness. He scowled down at  _ Kuroo _ from the top of a barrel.

“What do you research?”

_ Creepy smile. _ “Marine animals.”

“Why do you need to do that on  _ our  _ ship?”

“I need to be out at sea to see the deep-sea creatures.”

“Okay, but why  _ our  _ ship?”

“Hinata, that’s enough.” Kiyoko cut in. Hinata was wise enough to be quiet when the soft-spoken captain spoke. “Akaashi-san introduced us to Kuroo-san. I’ve chosen to trust him, so from now on please consider him my personal guest on board. In fact, Hinata, why don’t you help him choose a bunk and settle in. Kuroo-san, I’ll speak with our medic about finding you a workspace.”

Hinata sighed, then called over his shoulder, “C’mon, let’s get you settled in.”

Before following Hinata, Kuroo turned the full force of his eerie smile back toward Sugawara. 

“I’ll be seeing you around then, Mr. First Mate.”

Sugawara nodded and felt the muscles in his face flex with effort to avoid scowling.  _ Why the hell is this guy so creepy? _

“Sugawara.” 

He turned to Kiyoko.

“Come with me, please.”

He did.

* * *

“I noticed your attitude out there, you know.”

She pulled one belt off her waist, and set it on the large wooden desk in the captain’s quarters. The knives strapped to the belt barely made a sound as they made contact with the oakwood.

She sat down in the ornate chair behind the desk, facing Sugawara.

“From here on out, please treat Kuroo-san with a bit more respect.”

Sugawara crossed his arms and leaned onto one leg.

“Where’d you even find that guy?”

“Akaashi-san is a mutual friend.”

Sugawara was silent. It was hard to have better credentials than being a personal friend of Akaashi’s.

Kiyoko sent Sugawara a soft smile. 

“Now you can see why I’ve chosen to trust him and why I’ve allowed him aboard. Moving forward, please consider him my personal guest. I’ll need  _ you _ to set the example for the others.  _ Especially _ Tanaka and Hinata. He’ll also be working in collaboration with Tsukishima and Kenma-san, so I might need you to mediate that.”

Sugawara couldn’t even imagine being in a room with the quiet and gloomy Kenma, the creepy stranger, and the king of bad attitudes himself, but he swallowed that thought and instead nodded at his captain, who rarely asked personal favors of him anyway.

“Since that’s settled…” Kiyoko unfurled the map at the edge of her desk and Sugawara instinctively stepped forward to observe. She took out a pin with a red head and stuck it into a nearby island. “In two days, the Crimson Eels plan to attack Kivara. We don’t have a chance of getting there in time, what with how undersupplied we are, but we’ll need to get there in the aftermath.”

Sugawara’s face turned into a deep set scowl. “Those bastards… is there really no way we can just stop the attack?”

Kiyoko sent him a look which seemed a cross between pity, regret, fondness, warmth, all mixed with her usual impassive expression.

“I understand, Sugawara. There isn’t much we can do when we have no food or munitions. I’m also hesitant to take our crew into an active battle so soon after the last, especially now that we have another non-fighter to protect. Other crews have been informed of the Eels’ intentions; we can only hope that they’ll be able to mitigate some of the damage.”

Sugawara nodded, but with a lot of difficulty.

“People will die, Shimizu.”

“In our weakened state, we’d just be added to the casualties list, Sugawara. I know you understand already. We can’t take responsibility for every life lost; we aren’t the antagonizers in these situations. Let’s have faith in those whose circumstances are better.”

He nodded again, willing the tears welling up in his eyes to dissipate.

Kiyoko walked around her desk towards him, clasping his hands between both of hers. 

“Sugawara, your kindness is your strongest feature. I made you first mate because I knew I could count on your good judgment. But our first job is to protect our family, before we can save everyone else.”

Sugawara kept his eyes trained firmly on their clasped hands and prayed that his hair was hiding his misty eyes from the steely captain. 

“Well.” Kiyoko released his hands with a little tap and returned to her seat. “We’ll both feel better once we have a plan of action.”

* * *

Dinner had been delivered directly to the Captain’s Quarters so that Kiyoko and Sugawara could continue planning; by the time they decided to wrap up their conversation, darkness had fallen over the ship. Sugawara opened the door to the deck and caught his breath. Tanaka was being rowdy, attempting to convince Hinata to drink some heavy liquor he had clearly picked up during his outing earlier in the day. Saeko had evidently already had one too many cups of whatever her younger brother had purchased, and was telling some sort of tale to a group of unwilling crewmates as she balanced precariously on top of a barrel. A pair of talking crewmates (who posed much less danger to Sugawara’s safety and mental stability) caught his eye, so he hastened over to where they were standing by the railing.

“Asahi! You’re actually outside!”

Asahi sent him a look somewhere between a scowl and instant acceptance.

“Suga… I go outside every day.”

Sugawara smacked him on the back, ignoring his little “ _ ow _ .” 

“Tsukishima,” Sugawara reached up to ruffle the other’s hair, but Tsukishima backed away just in time, so Sugawara’s hand just grazed the metal frames of his glasses. “Have you been helping Kenma properly?”

Tsukishima realigned his glasses with a scowl. “Of course I have. I can’t make any promises moving forward, though.”

“Oh, why’s that?”

“That shady guy’s sharing a space with us now.” 

Asahi cut in. “Suga, is he really as shady as Tsukishima says? I haven’t had a chance to go visit. Should I… should I put something in his food?”

Sugawara laughed, working to dispel his own distrust of Kuroo. “As if you’d have the guts to poison him! He was recommended to us by a trusted source. The captain says to consider him her personal guest, so he can’t be someone dangerous.”

Tsukishima’s glasses caught in the light. “Says the pirate.”

“Takes a dangerous guy to know a dangerous guy, I guess.” Sugawara wisely resisted the urge to point out that Tsukishima was also a pirate. “How’s Kenma holding up, with another person in his space?”

“Kozume-san and I haven’t really talked about it.”

Between the subdued personalities of Kenma and Tsukishima, Sugawara would have been more surprised if they  _ had _ spoken about it. Or anything, really. Sugawara was convinced that Kenma didn’t even know Tsukishima’s given name.

After a beat of silence, Asahi spoke. “In any case, Tsukishima, you and Kenma will be pretty busy once we reach Kivara. You should store up your energy now; don’t worry about the researcher.”

In the light from a nearby lantern, Sugawara observed the faces of Tsukishima and Asahi. Asahi, who, despite his stature, tended to shy away from confrontation and who was the epitome of a gentle soul. Tsukishima spoke rudely, but for all of his height and posturing, Sugawara could only see the youthfulness of his features as a permanent reminder that he was only 21.  _ Is it selfish to be glad that we aren’t helping Kivara right now? _

His mind traveled to the empty hilt strapped to his shin, and to the family he had presumably received it from. He hated to think of the children of Kivara who would survive the attack but lose their parents, their memories, their place in life, just as he had 18 years prior. He hated, even more, to think of the children who would not survive at all. 

He threw his arms around Asahi and Tsukishima’s shoulders (he did, of course, have to get up on his tippy toes) and pulled them inward towards himself, ignoring Tsukishima’s whiny protests. “Alright, you two. We’ve got long days of high crime on the high seas up ahead, so we should all get some rest.”

He didn’t sleep very well that night. Or the next.

* * *

They could see the cloud of dark smoke from miles away. Kiyoko left her place by Sugawara’s side on the deck and rushed into her quarters, no doubt to pore over their map of Kivara to find ways to stop the spread of fire.

Next came the debris.

Wood scraps, bits of rope, and fabric all floated by, knocking into the Corbeau occasionally. Hinata and Saeko stayed on the lookout for anything which might be useful, occasionally sending nets down to pick up larger pieces of wood which could help with the rebuilding efforts or which made the waters particularly hazardous if left alone. A pile of such wood began to form on deck.

Finally, the people. Most were dead.

Most appeared to be pirates from ships which had come to counter the Eels; a pirate’s grave was the ocean, so the crew ignored the bodies, hoping to help those who still had hope.

There were some living people clinging to pieces of wood who began crying out for help as the Corbeau grew close enough to save them.

Sugawara led the efforts to bring these men and women aboard the ship as they moved towards the docks. Once they arrived, though, they found the docks themselves had been largely eviscerated as well, and the outskirts of the seaside city were up in flames. They dropped anchor and used a rowboat to bring the survivors to shore, Kenma and Tsukishima frantically addressing the most immediate injuries.

Kiyoko appeared at Sugawara’s left once more. “We need to split into two rescue teams. There’s plenty of water we haven’t covered; you take the rowboat and try to rescue as many people from the water as possible. The rest of us will focus on stopping the fire or evacuating people at risk. Let’s use the beach for first aid.”

Sugawara nodded, turning to look around the Corbeau for potential teammates, but Kiyoko grabbed his elbow. “Wait. I picked this up for you.” She pulled a thin knife off her belt. “I’m sorry we had to leave before yours was ready. I’ll feel better knowing you have backup.”

He muttered a quick thanks, strapped the knife to his shin, then immediately took off to find helpers. He definitely needed Hinata’s eyes, and Hinata was more than happy to join his rescue party. He also needed some muscle. Asahi was quickly recruited, because his services in the kitchen were not needed immediately and he had enough dense muscle mass for three regular men. They needed at least one more person. A hand clasped Sugawara’s shoulder.

“Let me help. I can at least row the boat.” 

Sugawara blinked up at Kuroo for a moment. Somehow, he felt more equipped to handle Kuroo if Tanaka was around. Kuroo, while his mannerisms were not pleasant, had spent the past few days unobtrusively peering out over the water, consulting his own maps (Sugawara had to wonder how he afforded them), and recording his findings in a leather bound journal. Sugawara wasn’t entirely sure what his “findings” were, but he supposed Kuroo had seen some nice fish. Despite his model behavior, though, Sugawara couldn’t get past the man’s shifty eyes and tended to steer away from him. 

Now, though…

He really needed another pair of hands. And, objectively speaking, Kuroo seemed to be pretty strong.

“Alright.”

Kuroo looked shocked that his offer had been accepted. Sugawara swallowed down the voice in his head which was screaming  _ THIS IS A BAD IDEA. _

“C’mon, you three. Let’s do what we can.”

Noticing the wary look on Hinata’s face, Sugawara sent him an encouraging smile and wished that he could reassure himself.

The first person they rescued was a young boy, about ten or eleven years old; he had been out at sea with his father, a fisherman, when the Eels were departing from their raid. Their boat had been hit by cannonballs meant for the Eels. The child said as much with a stoic look on his face. Sugawara watched as the boy reached into the water to grab something—a piece of red, intricately patterned fabric. Leaning over the edge of the rowboat, he held the fabric scrap against his chest. Sugawara laid a hand on his back and heard a barely perceptible whisper from the boy. 

“My father.”

He kissed the fabric, folded it neatly, and put it in his shirt pocket.

There was silence in the rescue boat, until they heard shouting from another survivor clinging to some wreckage nearby. Just before continuing their mission, Kuroo pulled off his coat and wrapped it around the boy’s shoulders. 

Sugawara and Asahi shared a look before rowing captured their attention.

* * *

In the end, they found about twenty more survivors in the water. They weren’t far from shore, so most were those who had been too badly injured to swim to safety. All of them had burns; most had at least one broken bone. A knife wound in one woman’s upper arm was great cause for concern, but Kuroo hastily ripped the hem of his shirt into a bandage to prevent further exposure until they could leave her with Kenma. 

After depositing this batch of survivors, Sugawara, Hinata, Kuroo, and Asahi climbed into their rescue boat once more. Tanaka ran over to them, his face stained with soot. 

“That’s enough for today! It looks like we’ve contained the fire on our end, and you guys’ll be at your limit soon. Kiyoko-san wants us to rest up.”

“I’m going out at least once more.”

Tanaka looked uncomfortable.

“Suga-san…”

“I’d feel awful if we missed anybody.”

“But, Kiyoko-san…”

“Tanaka. I outrank you and I’ve made my choice. Kiyoko asked you to pass on a message and you did. I’ll take the blame for disobeying. You three” he turned to Asahi, Hinata, and Kuroo, “can do whatever you like, but I’m going out one more time.” 

Sugawara moved to pick up an oar, but Hinata stopped him with a hand on the shoulder. 

“Sugawara-san, you were injured in that fight last week. You’ve done enough rowing today.”

“Hinata, don’t try—“

“So I’ll row instead.”

Asahi hesitantly picked up the other oar, and Kuroo sat down firmly with a mischievous smile on his face.

“Bold move,  _ Suga _ -san.”

“We came here to help people. I don’t want anyone dying in the water overnight when I know we could help them. Now let’s go.”

After an hour, it seemed as though Sugawara’s defiance was fruitless. They passed by the same wreckage and found no further survivors. 

“M-maybe we should turn back?”

Asahi looked ashamed to even suggest it.

Sugawara sighed.

“It looks like we already saved everyone who could be saved. Let’s turn b—“

“Sugawara-san!”

Hinata nearly capsized the rowboat in his urgency, and as he moved to grip the sides he fumbled with his eyeglass.

“There’s somebody over there! He just broke the surface!”

“What?”

Sugawara grabbed the eyeglass and turned it toward a floating pile of wreckage they had passed twice that day. Sure enough, a man was draped over a piece of wood, his body heaving with effort to breathe.

“Oh my god. Let’s go!” Sugawara hit Asahi’s shoulder out of excitement. “Move, move!”

As they got closer, they could hear him heaving for air, even above the sounds of the wind and the waves. 

Sugawara found himself yelling, “We’re here! We’re going to help you! You’re going to be alright!”

They were within 20 meters of the man.

“Are you injured?”

The man lost consciousness and slipped off of the wood.

Sugawara was in the water before he could think.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was somehow harder to write, even without the mermaid physics.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so they meet!

Even with his eyes closed, Daichi was sick of the direct, unfiltered sunlight.

The backs of his eyelids were glowing red. He couldn’t tell where his piercing headache was coming from: behind his eyes? At the base of his skull? The crown of his head? Everything was hurting anyways.

His chest and throat hurt worse than anything else. He felt like he had been gargling rocks, and every inhale sent a sharp pain into his chest cavity. 

There was a rushing sound in his ears that drowned out all noise.

He wiggled his fingers, hoping that Yamaguchi or Chikara or whoever he was with would notice. He strained to bend his elbow, testing its maneuverability. _Arms work. Good._

He tried to flick his tail fin. That went decidedly less well considering it was completely gone. Instead his…what were they called? _Right. Knees._ He hadn’t taken a human biology class in _years_ . His _knees_ bent awkwardly and he felt his _feet_ (he remembered that one!) kick up sand. He wiggled his toes.

_Okay. Okay. Human body. Gotta wake up my legs. I have legs. Yamaguchi is definitely not here._

The roaring in his ears began to subside. He was pretty certain he was fully unconscious, though, because there was _no way_ the beautiful voice he was hearing was real.

“Can you hear me? Are you awake?”

Daichi couldn’t open his eyes, even if he wanted to. He didn’t really want to. He figured whoever had a voice like _that_ was probably glowing as bright as the sun, and Daichi’s eyes were barely ready for regular sunlight. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a horrible rasp. He opted instead to wave a hand.

The voice continued.

“Okay, I’m gonna assume you can hear me, but I’m a little concerned about the sound that just came out of you. You can breathe, though, right?”

Daichi waved his hand again, but this time his hand grazed the pretty-voice-holder’s arm.

“Great. No offense, but you’re low-priority, so I’ll be back later.”

Daichi’s body was too exhausted to even attempt to open his eyes, so he dozed off once more.

* * *

The second time Daichi woke up, there was decidedly less light piercing through his eyelids, and his body felt slightly less like weights were tied to every one of his limbs. He cracked one eye open and was pleased to find that it was nearing nighttime and his headache wasn’t exacerbated by the dying light. He opened the other eye and stared blankly at the pink sky above him.

A less-angelic voice rang out next to him. 

“Oi, he’s awake now!”

“Shouyou, can you check his pulse for me?”

A hand grabbed Daichi’s arm and pressed into the soft part of his wrist. Daichi turned his head to the right and saw a young man with orange-ish hair next to him, his face screwed up in concentration.

Silence.

Then, “It seems normal!”

“‘Seems normal?’ How are we supposed to trust _your_ judgment?” This was spoken by someone behind where Daichi was lying.

The orange-haired boy— _Shouyou?_ —dropped Daichi’s arm and crossed his own.

“Shut up, stupid Tsukishima.”

“Thanks for checking, Shouyou. We’ll take your word for it.”

Daichi wracked his brain to remember the past few… minutes? Hours? Days? He wasn’t sure. He remembered waking up with his body draped across some floating wood. He would be inclined to think that was a dream, were it not for the sand beneath his body and the terrible feeling in his throat and chest. He really _was_ up on dry land and he really _had_ almost drowned. He remembered that he had woken up once before, but he couldn’t determine whether or not the beautiful voice he had heard was real or not. 

Then he remembered: _Tobio._ He did his best to look around, trying to see if any of the people around him resembled the prince. He remembered that he would not be allowed to see Tobio during the first few days of exile. He looked anyways.

There was no prince in sight.

He reached a hand out to _Shouyou_ , who gave him a quizzical little _hmm?_

Daichi tried to speak but could barely rasp out a faint, “Who?” 

The boy smiled.

“I’m Hinata Shouyou! I rescued you!”

The voice behind Daichi called out again.

“Bragging about rowing a boat? As I recall, Sugawara-san did the rescuing.”

Hinata’s face went red. 

“Sh-shut up, Tsukishima! I meant that I was part of the rescue _team_.” 

“And you did a great job, Hinata.”

Daichi’s body was at its absolute limit. The near-drowning was physically draining on its own. Nearly drowning in a body that was rapidly trying to adjust to a new form of breathing and moving? Absolutely hellish. Daichi wasn’t sure where transfiguration pain ended and drowning pain started. 

When he heard that voice again, though, he sat upright instantly as if the pain had never existed. His head knocked into Hinata’s chin on the way up. Hinata scowled and began to rub his chin dramatically. Daichi pretended nothing had happened.

He heard laughter and whipped his head to the left, and was assaulted with the light of the sun retreating behind the line of trees and buildings. Outlined against the sunlight was the figure of a somewhat slight man, who was evidently walking toward Daichi.

As he drew nearer, Daichi was able to make out more features. Pinkish light caught in light hair and illuminated the sides of his face. Even in the dying light his eyes seemed to be glittering. He had a fairytale face, in direct contrast to his absolutely tattered clothing and bare feet. His face was lit with bemusement

“You sat up awfully fast. You okay?”

Suddenly Daichi was keenly aware of the intense pain in his abdomen, neck, and back as his body struggled to keep his torso upright. He was too embarrassed to lay down again, though.

Daichi opened his mouth to say “Yeah, I’m okay” but what came out instead was “ya” and something akin to a knife scraping along a rock. 

“Oh god. Here, water.”

The stranger with the beautiful voice was now kneeling down next to him, holding out a canteen. Up close, his face was even more enchanting. Daichi’s mind went blank while he processed the beauty mark under the man’s eye. 

“You… okay?”

Daichi realized he hadn’t taken the canteen from the man’s outstretched hand. He quickly did so to avoid looking like a creep, then fumbled with the cap for a bit before taking a large gulp. 

He looked the stranger in the eyes and decided to try words one more time, feeling like his throat might be ready. It wasn’t.

 _Thank you,_ he mouthed.

The man just smiled.

(Daichi was kind of glad his throat hurt so much, since it was a constant reminder that this was real life).

Looking around, Daichi saw that he was not the only person laying on the sand. There were at least five other injured people spaced out along the beach near what appeared to be a destroyed dock. A few figures roamed between the patients or sat down next to them.

A tall man in spectacles approached Daichi and his two attendees. 

“Sugawara-san, can you please move? I need to examine him now that he’s awake.”

So the fairy-like man was _Sugawara._ Daichi remembered that he had supposedly been saved by a certain Sugawara.

“His heart rate was normal! You don’t need to check that, stupid Tsukishima.”

Daichi flinched violently, having forgotten that Hinata was directly to his right.

Tsukishima just raised one eyebrow before grabbing Daichi’s left arm. Sugawara leaned in, watching Tsukishima’s hand closely as it held Daichi’s wrist. After a short while, he released Daichi’s hand.

“It’s a little fast, but nothing dangerous. I’m more concerned about your throat. Open your mouth please.” Tsukishima squinted in the dying light, while Daichi held his mouth open.

“He sounded pretty bad.”

“Probably smoke inhalation. Lots of ships caught fire out there.”

“Maybe he got hungry and ate some wood and it scratched up his throat.”

Sugawara laughed. “Hinata, no one would do that.”

“I heard a story once about—”

Tsukishima cleared his throat. “It looks like there’s some swelling, but I can’t really tell since the light is fading. Do you feel pain anywhere besides your throat and chest?”

Daichi’s _legs_ were still tingly, but he knew that was a “magic” thing and not a “stranded at sea” thing. 

He rasped out “No.”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. 

“You could have just gestured. If your throat hurts, don’t talk. That should be obvious.”

He walked away.

Sugawara and Hinata both stood up and called after him.

“Stupid Tsukishima! That’s rude!”

“Oi, don’t talk to your patients like that!” 

Finally, Sugawara sighed. 

“Sorry about him. If it makes it any better, he’s always like that.”

Daichi felt like that actually made the whole situation worse, but he didn’t want to upset Sugawara so he kept his mouth shut (not that he actually had a choice anyways).

“Alright, we’ve set up a camp a little ways inland. If you’re feeling up to it, we can walk you over so you can get some food. The wind out here gets killer at night, so laying in the sand won’t be very pleasant.”

Daichi nodded and tried to stand up. His legs were stretched out in front of him, so he tried to bend them in a way that would get them under the rest of him. Bad choice. His hip joints burned with the effort, and his knees popped. He groaned and stretched his legs back out again, laying back down fully to alleviate the stress in his abdomen.

Hinata’s giant, inquisitive eyes appeared above him.

“That sounded bad. Need help up?”

Sugawara, to Daichi’s right, frowned down at him. “You shouldn’t lie to a doctor.”

If Daichi hadn’t been laying down, he would have hung his head in shame. 

“Alright, Hinata, let’s get him up.”

Sugawara and Hinata helped him to sit upright once again, then squatted down next to him and threw his arms over their shoulders. They stood, and Daichi scrambled to get his feet back underneath himself as sand rained down between them. 

Now upright, Daichi could tell that Hinata was much shorter than himself, causing his right leg to bend considerably more than his left. Sugawara, on the other hand (literally), was just about the same height as Daichi.

“Should we even try to let you walk on your own?”

Daichi nodded furiously.

“Sorry, that was rhetorical. I don’t wanna pick you up again when you inevitably faceplant.”

Hinata snickered.

Daichi tried to swallow down his embarrassment. He was quickly learning that Sugawara’s angelic voice could produce words just as sharp as Tsukishima’s.

After a few trial steps, they learned Daichi could, in fact, move his legs fairly well. Daichi couldn’t say it out loud, but he thought it was nothing short of a miracle that he could even remember _how_ to bend his magically-produced knees. He’d only had human legs once before, during a three-day cultural immersion training which was required for all Karasuno officials, and that had been years prior. He wasn’t too keen to walk on sand, though, so he was grateful for the help. 

They walked about a kilometer inland, past burnt buildings, piles of rubble, and the structures which had miraculously survived the Eels’ onslaught. They reached a makeshift shelter, with large pieces of fabric hung like tarps between the trees to provide cover. There were people everywhere, and Daichi’s head began to swim. Everywhere he looked, there were faces, bodies, and clothes smeared with soot.

“This is where you can get a meal. Resources are limited and we’ve got a whole town to feed, so you might get a bit less than you’re used to.”

“ASAHI-SAN!”

Daichi was shaken as Hinata waved his hand around violently. A tall, burly man with long hair hastened toward them with a fearsome look on his face.

“Suga… how could you leave me with _Tanaka_.”

“Hmmm?” Sugawara shifted his weight a bit. “Leave you? I just had a new assignment at the beach.”

“Who even gave you a new assignment?”

“The First Mate himself.”

“Suga…”

“ _Anyways_ , here’s another person for you to feed. Where’s Kiyoko?”

“She’s in that tavern over there. They’re converting it into a shelter for everyone who lost their homes.”

“Great.” Sugawara slipped out from under Daichi’s left arm, and Daichi had to make a conscious effort to support his weight with his left leg. “Asahi, can you help him real quick? I need to speak to Hinata.” Hinata, too, stopped supporting Daichi. He moved a little too fast, and Daichi pitched forward, his balance on his right side lost. Asahi dashed forward and caught him by the shoulders before he could hit the ground. He ducked his head under Daichi’s right arm and Daichi realized he was stooping to allow Daichi’s feet to touch the floor. Asahi led him to a bench on the outer edge of the covered area, and they sat down together.

_My tail is a lot longer than my legs. If I was standing on my tail right now I’d be so much taller than this guy._

“Sorry about that. Suga’s in a weird mood today; he usually isn’t that… abrupt.” Said abrupt man was whispering to Hinata, his face clouded and his eyes darting around as he spoke, his hand in a vice-like grip on Hinata’s shoulder. The sun was fully set, and the light from a nearby torch gave Sugawara an almost sinister appearance. 

Daichi contemplated the stranger for a moment, wishing he could will the sun to rise just a bit, reverse its course in the sky, to mitigate the torchlight’s shadows on Sugawara’s face and to reveal his soft features once more. As he pondered this, Sugawara turned toward him and their eyes met. He saw an expression cross Sugawara’s face before he turned back to Hinata. Daichi willed himself to return to his conversation with Asahi. He was surprised to find that his vocal chords were working, though his voice was dangerously raspy.

“No… it’s fine. I hear I owe him my life.”

Sugawara had looked at him with knitted brows and narrowed eyes. Daichi knew distrust when he saw it.

Asahi smiled a bit. “We were just about done for the day but Suga was really adamant that we went back out to find survivors. You’re pretty lucky we found you; you slipped into the water just as we got there.”

Daichi was still uncomfortable with Sugawara’s haste to part from him and his dark expression, but he realized that dwelling over a random human was inconsequential when compared with the greater task ahead of him. He needed to locate Tobio as soon as possible. Now, with Asahi, was the perfect time to ask the question that had been going through his mind since he woke up.

“Asahi-san… where are we?”

Asahi stared at him blankly.

“You don’t… you don’t know where you are?”

Daichi was glad he’d had some practice on land before. This was in the guidebook for transfiguration.

“Sorry. Don’t remember much . . . few days.”

Asahi continued to stare, then sighed.

“We’re on Kivara right now. They were attacked two days ago. You were floating in all the wreckage earlier today, then you passed out. How do you not remember that?”

 _Kivara._ Daichi jogged his memory. _Kivara was attacked a few days ago. By the Crimson Eels. That’s what started this mess in the first place._ He was proud of himself for remembering. Then he realized.

_What the fuck. Why did Tendou take me directly into a combat zone?_

He realized he hadn’t answered Asahi and did his best to have a far-off gaze. “There was an accident.”

Asahi’s voice quivered. “Accident?”

Daichi considered his options. _What can I do to find Tobio quicker?_ He knew that he would likely need help to cover enough ground to find Tobio in a timely manner. So he continued to lie, despite the intense pain in his throat as he kept talking and ignored Tsukishima’s orders.

“My brother was kidnapped. I went looking for him then… I woke up on the beach today.”

Asahi grabbed his arm.

“That sounds _awful._ I’m glad you still remember what happened before… whatever happened that made you lose your memories.”

Daichi felt bad about lying to this human. He seemed nice, if a bit gullible.

“Does your head hurt?”

Daichi jumped; he hadn’t realized Hinata had finished his conversation with Sugawara and had returned to their conversation.

“A little bit.”

Hinata cocked his head to one side.

“But don’t you have a head injury? Something must have caused your memory loss.”

Daichi wondered how long Hinata had been standing nearby while he spoke with Asahi. A quick glance told him Sugawara was nowhere in sight.

“I’m not sure _what_ caused the memory loss. I just know _something_ happened while I was out looking for my brother.”

“Maybe it was stress-induced?” Asahi piped in. “Sometimes my vision and hearing change a bit when I’m anxious. Like I can’t hear anything but I also hear too much. And I get really bad stomach cramps and I get _horrible_ red spots on my face and my jaw starts to click. Maybe memory loss is just your stress thing.”

Hinata made a thoughtful noise. “I also get really sharp stomach pain when I’m anxious. I’d be pretty upset if someone I loved went missing, so I can see how that could cause memory loss.”

 _I guess these guys have their own struggles._ Daichi wondered if it was rude to tell them to check in with the doctor on the beach as well. 

“Maybe. That could be it.”

“Do you remember where you’re from?”

 _Yeah, Karasuno._ “I was born on the mainland; my brother and I traveled a lot.”

Asahi and Hinata shared a look. 

“Traveled?” Hinata asked. His eyes took on a sharp look. “Who did you two travel with?”

“Just… passenger ships.”

“Not the Crimson Eels?”

Daichi realized just how suspicious he had sounded with his vague answers.

“No! No. I’m not with them. I hate those guys. Hate pirates. I’m not a pirate.”

_Smooth._

“Well have I got bad news for _you_ , then.”

Asahi and Hinata tensed up as a third man approached. He was taller than Asahi, with a lanky, looming frame only made to look more sinister in the torchlight. Daichi was more concerned with his hair, which somehow managed to cover one eye while also standing straight up. He clapped a hand on Daichi’s shoulder and sat down next to him on the bench.

“You just told pirates that you hate pirates, buddy. So, Shrimpy, do we make him walk the plank for his impertinence?”

Hinata glared and crossed his arms. “I’m not shrimpy, Kuroo-san. And he probably meant _bad pirates_ , not ones like us.”

Daichi glanced between Asahi and Hinata. Asahi had all the appearance of a criminal, but from their previous conversation about stress, Daichi was pretty certain he wasn’t cut out for actual combat. Hinata was more plucky, but he also radiated genuine kindness, despite his glares and occasional sharp words. He acted like a kid. _There’s no way they’re pirates._

Then again, humans were full of surprises. And King Ittetsu _had_ mentioned that there were pirate groups which opposed the actions of the Crimson Eels.

Daichi chose his words carefully. “Sorry if I offended. You two— _all—”_ He avoided eye contact with the wild-haired human,“Seem kind enough. I’m so grateful that you saved me.”

Hinata waved a hand. “It was just the right thing to do. I’m more concerned about why you have no burns and no injuries besides your weird voice thing. You couldn’t walk, but it also didn’t look like anything was wrong with your legs.”

“I’m surprised you noticed something like that, Shrimpy. I underestimated you.”

“I didn’t even notice.” Asahi looked a bit disturbed.

Ducking his head, Hinata muttered, “Sugawara-san pointed it out. ”

Kuroo slung an arm over Daichi’s shoulders. “Suga-chan really is amazing. But, let’s not jump to any conclusions.” Daichi ducked out from under his arm. “Based on how bad you sound and the fact that you can’t walk, we can at least conclude you have some sort of injury, probably caused by something different than what injured everyone else. You don’t look like you were under mortar fire or trapped on a burning ship like everyone else out there. None of your limbs look broken.”

Daichi realized that if _Suga-chan_ was amazing, _Kuroo_ was an absolute force to be reckoned with. 

“I know more about fish than about humans, but I _am_ technically a doctor. May I take a look at your arm?”

Daichi wasn’t too keen on Kuroo getting any closer. First, the phrase “I know more about fish” was alarming for a merman to hear (Daichi, like all merfolk, wasn’t half-fish; however, any merfolk could acknowledge their resemblance to fish). Second, Kuroo was a little creepy and had very quickly singled Daichi out among all the other rescued people. But he figured there was nothing to lose by allowing the man to examine his arm.

Daichi got to work rolling up his sleeve. 

“Oh! I forgot to bring you food. You must be starving. I’ll be back!” Asahi left. Hinata hovered awkwardly over Kuroo and Daichi as Kuroo gripped Daichi’s arm.

“Why would his arm be hurt if it’s his throat that’s messed up?”

Daichi was glad Hinata asked Kuroo, as he himself wanted to know the answer but was scared of looking foolish.

“A valid question. I’m checking his pulse—“

“I did that earlier”

“—and searching for any skin that might have been lightly burnt. Bruises, abrasions, discoloration, rough patches, whatever. Get some light over here, Shrimpy.”

Hinata growled at the nickname before he turned and walked away. 

“Now, fingernails.”

Kuroo pinched Daichi’s index finger between two of his own, holding it up to his eyes for examination and not seeming to care that Daichi’s hand was bent at a weird angle.

Daichi wondered if Kuroo treated fish like this, too.

“Mmhm. Thought so.” Kuroo smirked a bit. 

“Thought what? Why did you… check my nail’s temperature?”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow.

“Are _you_ a doctor?” 

“No.” 

“Then trust me. I know things.”

“You’re a fish doctor.”

“I study fish. They aren’t patients. And while I do know a lot about all forms of marine life, I’m fully capable of recognizing human problems.”

Daichi wasn’t entirely sure how to respond other than, “All right.”

Hinata returned with a torch and Kuroo held it close to Daichi’s hand. His face lit up with a creepy smile.

 _Do hand fetishes exist?_ Human cultural immersion practice hadn’t prepared Daichi for this doctor. _Why is he smiling at my hands like that?_

Kuroo used the light to check Daichi’s arm for anything weird (he found nothing). He checked the hand one more time (Daichi really wanted to leave). He made Daichi stand up and walk a little ways (Daichi was just glad Kuroo wasn’t checking his legs for discoloration and that he was able to walk comfortably after resting). 

Asahi came back with a bowl of stew and a slice of bread. It was different from Daichi’s usual fare, but he was hungry enough to eat nearly anything. 

When he finished his meal, Hinata stood up. “You might still need some medical attention. Let’s get you some shelter inside for now. We can deal with the memory loss stuff tomorrow.”

Legs now working relatively well, Daichi followed Hinata into the tavern while Asahi whisked their bowls away to some unknown location. Kuroo followed Daichi and Hinata.

One section of the tavern’s outer wall had been knocked inwards, and groups of people were sitting on the stone pieces of the ruined wall strewn about the otherwise normal-looking tavern. In one corner of the room, Sugawara was seated on top of a barrel, chatting animatedly with two others and cradling a pint of an amber liquid in his hands. Hinata waved at the little group. Sugawara sent a closed-lip smile their way and raised his glass in a mock salute. Tsukishima, at his side, didn’t even turn their way. The young woman next to Sugawara, however, turned and nodded at Hinata with a small smile. Daichi felt heat rise up into his face. She was pretty in an intimidating way, and even with the smile on her face there was a certain coldness to her features that chilled him. Hinata jogged over to the group in the corner, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he talked.

An older woman carrying a tray full of pints identical to Sugawara’s passed by. Kuroo placed a copper coin on her tray and grabbed two, holding one out to Daichi. 

“What is that?”

“It’s ale. Take it, my treat. You’ve obviously had a rough day.”

The training guidelines for transfiguration and human cultural immersion experience had stated that drinking alcohol was a bad idea for merfolk. Loosened inhibitions meant that sensitive information could be revealed. Daichi tried to think of a way to politely turn down Kuroo’s offer. _He already paid though. I’ll just have a few sips._

Daichi carefully took the drink from Kuroo and took a tentative sip.

It was the worst thing he’d ever tasted in his life. He coughed as it went down, then swallowed desperately to dispel the flavor from his mouth. Raucous laughter filled the room as Kuroo clutched at his stomach, amused at Daichi’s discomfort with the drink that everyone else in the room was drinking just fine. 

Daichi’s face was burning, and as he spluttered out explanations for his over-the-top reaction, his eyes met Sugawara’s once more. Sugawara lifted his own glass to his lips and took a long sip, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. Daichi caught himself and looked away, allowing himself to be caught up in Kuroo’s conversation about the sleeping arrangement in the tavern.

* * *

The next day was a blur of activity; Daichi’s legs were finally fully operable and the pain in his throat subsided overnight, so he was able to help with the rescue efforts. He had been feeling awful and achy the previous day, but seeing the status of some of the other rescued people on Kivara made him feel exceptionally lucky that he had only had magic-induced injuries and illness.

He needed to find Tobio. He understood that. He figured his best bet was to get off Kivara altogether and get to a more populous place. The difficulty was finding a way to get _off_ Kivara. His second best bet was to interact with as many people on Kivara island as possible, pick their brains for information about someone with similar symptoms as his own. He doubted Tendou would send him and Tobio to the same place, but he also figured Tobio wasn’t too far away. He just needed to get information and get moving.

He quickly learned that no boats were leaving the island any time soon. Most of the ships which belonged to Kivarans were small fishing vessels, unfit to traverse far beyond the perimeter of the island. The other ships were all sloops and other sea-faring vessels belonging to pirate groups, most of which were in desperate need of repair. There was, notably, one ship in near-perfect condition.

Kuroo had become a regular fixture at Daichi’s side, so Daichi took a moment to ask, “Whose ship is that?”

Kuroo turned his head toward the docks, then smiled back at Daichi.

“That’s the _Corbeau_. It’s the ship I sailed in on, and it belongs to the guys who are leading these rescue operations. Suga-chan is the First Mate, you know.”

Daichi felt his heart sink.

“Any chance they’d let me hitch a ride?”

“I woulln’t hold your breath. But they _did_ let a creepy guy like me aboard, so I guess a miracle might be possible. Where are you trying to go?”

Daichi ran a hand through his hair. “What’s the biggest city around?”

“The _biggest_ city within three days’ sailing time is Fairview; but that’s also a naval base so taking a pirate ship into the bay is quite literally a death wish. Ganborough Isle is your best shot, given your potential transportation method.”

Daichi ran his hands through his hair. 

“I don’t even know where to start looking for my brother. Oh my God.”

Kuroo slung an arm over his shoulder (which Daichi tried to duck out of). 

“Don’t worry about the details! First worry about convincing Suga-chan or Shimizu-san to let you on the ship. Then you can try to figure out where to start looking in Ganborough.”

“Shimizu-san?”

“The captain.”

“Oh? I haven’t met the captain. Do you think they’d be receptive?”

“Probably more receptive than the first mate. She’s the one who let me on board, but I had an endorsement of sorts.”

“From who?”

“A mutual friend.”

“Would you endorse me?”

“Of course. But they don’t trust me, so my opinion doesn’t matter.”

Daichi looked up at Kuroo.

“And why do you trust me? Why are you helping me?”

There was a pause as Kuroo looked off into the distance toward a group which consisted of Tsukishima, Hinata, and a burn victim who was being held between the two as they helped him walk, despite their comical size difference.

“You haven’t given me a reason _not_ to, at the very least.”

“Not even the fact that I haven’t been burned or broken a bone like every other person you rescued yesterday?”

“I’m not gonna assume the worst of someone just because they’re lucky.”

“I wish Sugawara-san thought the way you do.”

Shouts rang out from a place unseen. Someone was yelling about needing extra hands.

“Let’s go.” Kuroo pulled Daichi’s arm. “Maybe we can give him a reason to trust you.”

* * *

Daichi drank with Kuroo, Hinata, and a loud pair of siblings who introduced each other as “Ryu” and “Saeko.” He was able to choke down the bitter liquid a little better than the day before, and Kuroo mockingly encouraged the whole group to clap for him when he finished his glass. Saeko was all too happy to comply, much to Daichi’s humiliation. As she got progressively more drunk, she slung her arms over Hinata and Ryu, face pointed toward the ground as she spoke in a drawling tone.

“Ryu!” She tugged on his neck. “You were so cute when you were a kid! Guys, listen. One time, when he was _reeeaaaallly_ little, he got really scared and totally peed his pants. But we were in the marketplace and it was so embarrassing! He used to be so cute!”

Ryu, to his credit, stammered out: “All kids pee their pants.” 

Hinata and Kuroo, both fully drunk as well, laughed raucously along with Saeko.

“So!” 

Saeko pointed at Daichi lazily.

“What about you? Since you won’t drink much, you gotta tell us a story.”

Daichi froze up, searching his mind for a story that would be both entertaining and not too mermpeople-y.

“So I have a little brother. His name’s Chikara, and he’s usually pretty smart but he was _ridiculously_ shy when we were kids. One time, we were in the gardens and we ran into the—” he stopped himself before saying _king,_ “—richest merchant in town. I had met him a few times before that, so he introduced himself to my little brother. My brother was _super_ intimidated by him. So the merchant says, ‘what’s your name?’ And he just… started rambling. He told him who his parents were. He talked about me. He mentioned why we were in the gardens in the first place. Then he ran off. And the merchant looks at me and says, ‘He didn’t even tell me his name.’”

Daichi was glad to find that the other four, drunk as they were, found his story funny. Saeko fell forward across the table and tried to clap her hand on Daichi’s shoulder.

“You’re funny! I like you a lot. Ryu! Let’s take him with us!”

_Oh god, please take me with you._

Ryu downed the rest of his glass.

“No way. Kiyoko-san doesn’t want more strangers on board, and Suga-san doesn’t like ‘im. ‘S a shame, though.” He pushed his sister aside, freeing Daichi’s shoulder. “You seem nice enough.”

“He’s nice! He’s nice!” Kuroo agreed, waving his glass in the air.

“Mmmmmm, but Sugawara-san say’s he’s scary.” Hinata’s cheek was pressed into the surface of their table. 

Kuroo laughed. “Suga-chan doesn’t like me either.”

Hinata mumbled, “Because you’re scary, too.”

“And you call him Suga- _chan,_ ” Ryu added. 

“So Daichi here’s already doing better than me!” He turned seriously toward Daichi. “Hear that? You can come aboard, just don’t call Suga-chan ‘Suga-chan.’”

“Who is calling me what?”

Sugawara and the pretty woman from the day before had appeared behind Daichi and Kuroo while they spoke. Daichi jumped in his seat, while Hinata forced himself to sit upright and Ryu straightened up respectfully.

“Kiyoko-san!” His voice was dripping with affection.

“ _The Captain!”_ Kuroo hissed into his ear.

She nodded coolly.

“Hey!” Saeko slammed her tankard down on the table. “Shimizu, Suga-chan. Let’s take this kid with us! He’s funny.”

Daichi didn’t dare move, or turn around to meet the intimidating pairs’ judgmental eyes (he just _knew_ they were judgmental).

“We can talk when you’re sober.” Shimizu’s voice was both gentle and firm.

“Besides,” Sugawara reached past Daichi to grab Ryu’s tankard, still half-full, “You guys think everything is funny when you’re drunk. You’ll have to be more convincing than that.” As he pulled his arm away from the table, tankard in hand, his shoulder brushed against Daichi’s arm. _Alcohol was a bad idea. My body is tingling,_ Daichi thought to himself. He turned as Sugawara downed the rest of the ale in the glass. 

“Let’s go, Sugawara. I’ll see all of you in the morning.”

Ryu saluted, while the rest of the table rang out in feeble goodbyes.

Daichi watched as Sugawara and Shimizu entered the still-intact hallway of the tavern and went into a seperate room.

He whispered in Kuroo’s ear, “Are they together?”

“Together how?” Kuroo was at full volume, rendering Daichi’s whispers useless.

“Are they, I don’t know, married? Betrothed?” He wasn’t too sure about human courtship practices. “Uh… courting?”

Ryu let out a messy sob. 

“No! Kiyoko-san wouldn’t do that to me!”

Hinata patted Ryu on the back. 

Saeko, laughingly, responded, “Not as far as any of us are aware. They’ve known each other _forever,_ but I don’t know the details. Suga-chan is pretty physically affectionate, so I think we’d know if they were involved in some way.”

Ryu’s head nodded furiously beside his sister as she spoke.

Daichi couldn’t imagine _Suga-chan_ being physically affectionate, but he filed it away as an interesting little factoid about the judgmental first mate.

“Why?”

Daichi turned to Kuroo.

“Hmm?”

“Why’re you asking about them?”

Daichi paused. “Just out of curiosity, I suppose.”

“You’re not interested in Shimizu, are you?”

Daichi noticed Ryu, Saeko, and Hinata all tense up. Ryu’s hand was resting suspiciously on his hip.

Daichi held up his hands.

“No! No. I was really just curious. I assure you, all I care about is finding my brother.”

“Your brother?”

Daichi realized he hadn’t told them about his situation. He gave them the same bare-bones story he had told Asahi and Hinata the day before (and the one which he had been obliged to tell Kuroo later on). 

“... and so, that’s why I’m actually trying to find a way off this island. I really appreciated when you asked if I could tag along.” He smiled at Saeko.

Ryu, having finished his fourth drink during Daichi’s story, was sobbing. 

“Daichi-san… you’re a great guy! We’ll help you find your brother!”

Saeko began to tear up as well.

“My brother’s an idiot,” She pulled Ryu into her arms, “But I would never want to be separated from him like that.”

“It’s all about family!”

Saeko and Ryu were officially causing a scene in the tavern, which was still the meeting place of the visiting pirates and many of the displaced residents of Kivara. Daichi was grateful that Hinata and Kuroo had not joined in on the theatrics; both seemed a little uncomfortable, either with the attention or the subject at hand.

“Well, I appreciate your support. I just need to convince Sugawara or Shimizu-san to allow me on board for a few days.”

* * *

It was easier than he thought it would be.

“Sawamura-san.”

He hardly heard the voice behind him. He drove one final nail into the dilapidated wall in front of him and turned around to face Shimizu. Even in the burning heat of the afternoon, she didn’t seem to have broken a sweat and cast an intimidatingly beautiful figure as she peered down at him. He stood up to meet her eye-to-eye, but quickly found that he was taller than her. 

“Yes?”

“My name is Shimizu Kiyoko. I’m the captain of the _Corbeau._ ”

Daichi felt somewhat uncomfortable saying _I know, I’ve been told multiple times_ so he settled on nodding.

“I’m sure you already knew that.”

“It’s been mentioned.” He rubbed his neck.

“We haven’t been formally introduced yet.”

Daichi noticed that she consistently paused, as if expecting interjections. Unlike the rest of her crew, she seemed to speak more formally. He felt a bit like he was back at the High Council Meeting. He nodded politely again, giving her the _okay_ to continue speaking.

“Saeko informed me of your situation, and I’d like to help you. You’ve been a great help with the rescue effort these past two days.”

Daichi could have jumped for joy. His only plan thus far had been “be as helpful as possible so that they like me.” He was surprised it had worked so quickly.

“My crew and I will be leaving this island tomorrow; we gave away most of our supplies to the inhabitants here, so we need to restock.”

 _Tomorrow?_

“I’d be willing to allow you on board as far as Ganborough Isle, where we intend to replenish our supplies. However,” her countenance sharpened almost imperceptibly, “I take the safety of my crew very seriously.”

Daichi nodded. “Of course.”

“There are those in the crew who would… rather you not join us.”

_You can say Sugawara. It’s okay. I know._

“While on board, you will be under constant supervision, and your movement will be limited.”

“That’s fine. I just need to get off this island to find my brother.” 

Shimizu’s expression softened; she tilted her head to one side a bit.

“Thank you for your understanding; your devotion to your brother serves you well. We leave tomorrow at first light.”

And she was gone.

* * *

He continued to nail wooden boards to the destroyed house, patching up the eastern wall which had been taken out by a stray cannonball. His work was clumsy. Most construction in Karasuno was completed by mages who specialized in construction; Daichi was a royal advisor, and had neither the eye nor the talent for physical labor. Thankfully, twenty-four years of swimming translated to a fairly strong human body, so he wasn’t particularly worn out from all the heavy lifting.

As he was about to hit another nail into place with his hammer, he felt a sharp sting in the hand holding the wooden board in place. He snatched his hand backward, and the plank hit him on the head as it lost its support. 

“Splinter?”

Daichi, hands gingerly rubbing the top of his head, turned around to see Sugawara standing just behind him, carrying a large basket. He felt the stinging feeling again in the soft skin between his forefinger and his thumb and he yanked his hand away from his head. He wanted to ask _what the hell is a splinter?_ He wasn’t sure if _splinters_ were a common occurrence for humans, or what it meant in the context of an injury. He settled by responding with, “Uh, probably.”

Sugawara raised one eyebrow.

“Well, if it _is_ a splinter, it’s best to get it out quick.”

Daichi stared, not sure if Sugawara was being helpful or not. His ears were still ringing from being hit in the head with a large wooden plank.

“Um. Thank you.”

Sugawara waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t thank me.” He walked away with the basket.

Daichi glanced down at his left hand, but didn’t notice anything amiss until he pressed on the tender spot. He yelped and held his hand close to his eye. A small, tan sliver of _something_ was protruding from the fleshy part of his hand. He prodded it again to ensure it was the source of the pain. 

It was.

The ringing in his ears grew exponentially as he tried to pinch the thing, the _splinter_ perhaps, between his fingernails and pull it out. He couldn’t get a grip, but the skin around the little sliver began to turn red.

He tried rubbing his hand with the pad of his opposite thumb to loosen it. Wrong choice. He hissed in pain.

 _Whatever this_ splinter _thing is,_ he thought, _I am so glad we don’t seem to get these back home._

“Seriously?” Sugawara appeared at his side again. “Just pinch it to the surface and use your teeth to pull it out.”

“S-sorry.” Daichi used his right hand to rub his neck in discomfort. “I’ve never had a splinter before.”

Sugawara had large, expressive eyes. They went entirely blank at that statement.

“You’ve… never had a splinter before.”

“Uh… no. Sorry?”

Sugawara’s blank expression soured and he let out a huff of air. “Listen.” He dropped his basket down onto the ground. “I don’t trust you. You claim that you don’t know where you are, but you somehow remember that you’re looking for your brother. You don’t know how you appeared in the water _after_ we passed that area multiple times looking for survivors. You don’t have any major injuries. And now you say that you’ve never even had a _splinter_ before.” He crossed his arms and leaned back against the house. “I know you’ve told a lot of lies over the past few days. You’re clearly hiding something; you’d just be too weird otherwise.”

Daichi leaned back from Sugawara. He hadn’t been expecting a direct confrontation. He remembered his first impression of Sugawara as Daichi lay suffering on the beach two days prior: a beautiful voice, a beautiful face, and also his apparent savior. Now, he felt nothing but intimidation. This was a pirate. This was someone who hated outsiders above all else.

Daichi felt frustration build up inside of him as he recalled Sugawara’s brief kindness on that first day, and how quickly his impression of Daichi seemed to have turned.

Sugawara’s chest was heaving a bit, even though he hadn’t raised his voice at all. 

Daichi chose his words carefully.

“I know you don’t trust me. It was pretty obvious.”

“Good.”

“Please know that I don’t mean you or anyone else on the _Corbeau_ harm. I’m just looking for my brother; that’s all I care about. I just need to get to Ganborough Isle.”

“I don’t see why Kiyoko allowed you on board. You could just wait until the next ship comes around”

“I’m fairly desperate to leave this place; I don’t have time to wait around. Shimizu-san is only allowing me on board because I agreed to constant surveillance.”

Sugawara ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I’m not gonna challenge one of Kiyoko’s orders. If you try _anything_ against anyone aboard the _Corbeau_ , you’ll wish we had left you to drown.”

He turned to walk away, then turned back around. 

“Infections are no joke. Get that splinter out of your hand so you don’t waste our medical supplies.”

He picked up his basket and walked away.

After a few minutes of awkwardly biting at his hand, Daichi was able to pull out the splinter. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. Also I PROMISE this isn't a kurodai fic. Kuroo's just fun to write

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first chaptered fic! Feel free to reach out to me on tumblr @ sassysugawara.


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